Diet & cooking – Page 7

12 JAN

Refined Robbers: Choose Whole Grains

Statistics tell us that the average American eats only one half of a serving of whole grains daily, although the current recommendation is to eat at least three servings per day. Some people consume predominant whole grains, so this means that many people are only rarely or not ever eating whole grains.

Unfortunately, when many people think of whole grains they think only of whole wheat. That one is great, but there are many more choices available. Several may even have more nutrients than whole wheat. Examples of other grains include oats, barley, millet, rye, brown rice, corn (maize), buckwheat, and amaranth.

So what exactly is a “whole” grain, anyway? Whole grains can be defined as having all three parts of the kernel included. Refined grains, such as white flour, are made up of the endosperm, which is mainly starch. The kernel also contains a germ and the bran. These two layers are loaded with nutrients, including vitamin E, several B vitamins, and some important minerals, including zinc, magnesium, manganese, chro-mium, selenium, and molybdenum. During the refining process these nutrient-rich layers are lost. Fiber is also lost.

12 JAN

Legumes and Their Effect on Heart Disease

At the beginning of the twentieth century heart disease in the public was a small problem; by the end of the century it had become the most frequent cause of death. Studies have shown a strong association between dietary saturated fat intake and the occurrence of this disease. The American diet provides an overabundance of saturated fat and cholesterol found primarily in animal products.

12 JAN

Thinking About Drinking Milk?

As scientific investigators have traced the causes of heart disease, cancer, arthritis, migraines, and digestive problems, the least likely suspect had to be milk. We poured it on our cereal, pushed it on our children, and couldn’t imagine it to be anything but healthful. But more and more researchers now view milk with skepticism about its benefits and concern about its risks. They are linking the epidemics of prostrate cancer, digestive problems, and other ills to our habitual consumption of specific foods including-and especially-milk.

12 JAN

Simple Creative Salads

Salads at home once meant iceberg lettuce topped with a few carrots and perhaps a tomato. A salad was just a bland diet food or a precursor to a meal. Not so today. With all the varieties of greens now available at the supermarket, it has never been easier to make a healthy and tasty salad.

To turn a plain-Jane salad into a spectacular dish, just pick a blend of greens and add your favorite ingredients. It’s that simple and the possibilities are infinite when it comes to the delicious and healthy salad creations you can make. So let these recipes inspire you to get creative in the kitchen and enjoy a great salad every day.

12 JAN

Water Works

Water provides true refreshment for the thirsty, but most people don’t know that it also plays a vital role in all bodily processes. Unfortunately, most people don’t drink enough water, perhaps because they don’t realize just how important it is. The fact is, not drinking enough water affects every aspect of your body, right out to your skin.

Drink Up!

As a health-conscious individual, you take pride in maintaining your body at an optimal level. You work out, eat healthy low-fat diets, and even take supplements.

But are you overlooking perhaps the most basic of all health-enhancing substances–water?

Water’s pivotal role in life is reflected in the composition of the human body. Accounting for approximately 60 percent of the weight of an average person and nearly two thirds of our complete structure, water’s presence is pervasive throughout our system. Next to oxygen, water is the most essential element in our physiology. We can survive for weeks without food, but only days without water. Water comprises 80 percent of blood, 73 percent of the brain, 73 percent of muscle, and 22 percent of bone. Without ample reserves of this critical fluid many major body processes would be severely hindered.
Read more about Drink Up! …

01 SEP

Yes, You Can Grow Alfalfa or Clover Sprouts

Prep Time: 2 minutes a day
Growing Time: 6-7 days
Yield: 4 cups
Cost per serving: $0.16

You can buy a set of 3 plastic sprouting lids (fine, medium and coarse mesh) and a sprouting chart for about $5 at most natural food stores. Or you can make your own screen with cheese cloth (available at grocery stores) and a rubber band to hold it in place.)

Equipment needed:
• Wide-mouth quart jar
• Fine-mesh sprouting lid
• Medium-mesh sprouting lid
• Cereal bowl

01 JUL

Five of the Healthiest Breakfast Cereals

Cheerios (Original)
Serving Size: 1 cup (30g)
Calories: 110
Fat: 2g
Fiber: 3g
Sugar: 1g
Sodium: 210mg
Carbs: 22g
Protein: 3g

Cheerios was made and marketed in 1941 by General Mills under the name “Cheeri Oats,” and the named changed to “Cheerios” because of the “o” shape. Cheerios has always been and remains a “children’s favorite cereal.” Be careful with the flavored cheerios, though, because even the multigrain Cheerios are loaded with sugar!

Mesa Sunrise Flakes
Serving Size: ¾ cup (30g)
Calories: 120
Fat: 1.5g
Fiber: 3g
Sugar: 4g
Sodium: 130mg
Carbs: 24g
Protein: 3g

01 SEP

Are You Really Hungry?

When we eat while actually hungry, food tastes much better and we’re physiologically primed for proper digestion. Hunger, in the true sense of the word, indicates to us that it’s time to stop what we’re doing and nourish our bodies.

Consider that real hunger is not often experienced in our modern, overfed population. Most people no longer remember or are aware of what hunger feels like. Most are surprised to learn that it’s a sensation felt in the throat, not in the head or stomach.

Instead of true hunger, what people are experiencing are detoxification or withdrawal symptoms. They feel shaky, headachy, weak, or suffer from abdominal cramps or spasms. They conclude that these are hunger symptoms because eating relieves them. I call this persistent imposter “stress hunger.”

Stress hunger is created by the symptoms a person experiences that are due to toxic wastes being mobilized for elimination. It occurs after a meal is digested and the digestive track is empty. It can make us feel very uncomfortable.